(Blog) Don't Let the Early Spring Fool You

This week’s unseasonably warm weather is a flat out tease – experienced gardeners know it’s still too early to be out in the garden.  Even though my tulips, daffodils and even allium bulbs are starting to come up and I have new growth on my climbing rose - it's still too early to till the ground. The early Spring ground is still very wet and working your soil too early will lead to compact garden soil and that is death to plants. 

But if you're itching to do something now, there are a few tasks you can take care of and one big job that is probably awaiting you in your garage or garden shed….disguised as garden tools. 

It's a great time to clean and sharpen garden tools. Tools should ideally be cleaned after every use but if you’re like me, they are a bit neglected until Spring fever sets in. Start by scrubbing tools with a stiff brush and soapy water.  Once the soil is off, use some clean steel wool to bring back the smooth, shiny surface of your shovel blades. Then sharpen the edges of your tools with a sharpening file. Apply the file at a slight angle over the original beveled edge and sweep from one side to the other, pushing the file along the edge in a one-way stroke away from the blade. Make sure to remove any small “burrs” that are created from sharpening on the back side.  Once sharpened, wipe or spray your tools with a petroleum-based lubricant like WD-40, which will help to stop rust as well. You can even sand and oil wooden handles too.

If you have sap build-up on pruning shears, try turpentine to remove it. Some tools you’ll be able to take apart the blades. These are best sharpened with a ceramic sharpening stone, again held at an angle pushed across the edge away from the blade. WD-40 can also be used on these as well to help remove friction between moving parts.  When those giant Hosta are ready to be divided in a few weeks (or months) you'll be glad you sharpened your tools. 

Check garden hoses too for any cracks or holes and get a jump on tuning up power tools like mowers and tillers, avoiding the rush in April and May. 

Pruning is considered an early Spring task, but Iowa State University Extension and Outreach says it's best to prune before plants break dormancy and some already have.  For specifics on pruning visit www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/SUL5.pdf and
www.extension.iastate.edu/publications/pm1958.pdf, two good guides for pruning deciduous trees and ornamental shrubs.

Even if the thermometer reads 70, it's still April in Iowa - annuals and most vegetables won't be ready to be planted until mid-May. So if you have to plant something, stay out of your gardens and start your seeds indoors.

- Lisa Slattery
ISU Extension and Outreach Linn County Master Gardener